D.C. has plans to deal with traffic for Nats playoffs

WASHINGTON – There are plans in place to accommodate what is expected to be crushing traffic around Nationals Park when playoff baseball comes to D.C.

The D.C. Department of Transportation says drivers can expect traffic pattern changes after the games. Most changes will involve M and South Capitol streets in southeast and southwest D.C.

Traffic control officers will be in place to prevent most turns off M and South Capitol streets. Those roads will be used as corridors to shuttle traffic away from the stadium quickly toward I-395 or to the 11th Street and Frederick Douglas bridges to Maryland.

DDOT warns workers downtown that spillover traffic could impact their commute, and suggests they consider teleworking or plan to divert driving routes away from the ballpark area.

Traffic signals will be timed to assist flow to and from the stadium. Traffic engineers monitoring backups will have the ability to alter the timing of traffic signals remotely to assist flow as needed.

Fans attending the game have lots of options in addition to driving. Several bus routes serve the area, and there are river taxis and Capital Bikeshare stations around the ballpark and at surrounding Metro Rail stations.

The Washington Nationals operate a bicycle valet service in Parking Garage C located at First and N streets southeast. DDOT says you can drop of Capital Bikeshare stations there as well, but leaving a rental with the valet service before the game doesn’t guarantee a bike’s availability after the game.